Well my first Father's Day has come and gone, but it left me with a whole new perspective. Never being a father before, I thought the event was an occasion to recognize and celebrate our dads. After experiencing it as a father, I realize that it is an opportunity for me to recognize how blessed I am. It also serves as a reminder of what my most important job is on this earth, to raise my son.

My day started way sooner than I would have hoped, at 6:15am. That was when Billy decided it was time for the day to begin, and while he is the smallest member of the household, his vote carries the most weight. My wife was exhausted because she had worked the night before, so I grudgingly got up. At first I was a little frustrated that I had to be the one to get up, after all it is Father's day. However, that frustration faded pretty fast when I walked into the nursery and saw Billy shoot me a big smile. After changing his diaper, we decided to head outside

It was an absolutely beautiful morning, sunny and about 65. It was one of those mornings that make you feel sorry for everyone that is still sleeping and can't appreciate it. At the same time, I was glad that we had the morning to ourselves. I grabbed a Pepsi One and we went out to sit in an Adirondack chair under the birch tree. Billy was fascinated watching the leaves move in the tree, and I was fascinated watching him.

As we sat there I thought about how lucky I am. I have a wonderful wife, a great son, and a great Dad of my own to use as a role model. I also thought about how being a good father is my number one priority in life. Never before have I wanted to be good at something, as desperately as I want to be a good father. Billy then broke my concentration as he began a stream of consciousness that I believe included the dreams he had last night, his big plans for the day, and hopefully how much he loves me.

After about 45 minutes Billy started to get a little bored and we went inside as my wife was waking up. My wife wanted to make the day very special for me. She offered to take us out to dinner and pretty much let me do whatever I wanted because it was "my day". When I just wanted to spend the day at home and grill steaks, I think she was a little disappointed. What she didn't know was that because she let me get up early with Billy, my day already was special. That morning I realized that Father's Day has little to do with celebrating me. It has everything to do with celebrating how lucky I am to have a loving wife and a wonderful son. After all, without them I wouldn't be a father in the first place. It is also a reminder of what an awesome responsibility I have been given.

I am a little disappointed that Billy will never remember that summer morning we spent together. I can only hope that one day he can share a similar moment with a child of his own. What a great way to start the day…